Washington (CNN) – A commission tasked by the nation's most influential gun lobby to assess school safety proposed a set of recommendations Tuesday that includes a plan to train and arm adults as a way to protect kids from shooters.

Former GOP congressman Asa Hutchinson, who headed the National Rifle Association-backed School Safety Shield, said the plan to train school personnel to carry firearms in schools made sense as a way to prevent shootings like the December massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.
"Response time is critical," Hutchinson said at a press conference revealing the plan.

"If you have the firearms in the presence of someone in the school, it will reduce the response time and save lives," he said.

Hutchinson said the recommendation for school personnel to carry weapons includes the stipulation those adults undergo a 40-60 hour training program and are screened through a background check.

The entire report contains eight recommendations, including enhancing training programs for school resource officers and developing an online assessment portal for administrators to gauge their schools' security.

Hutchinson noted at the press conference Tuesday that many schools have visitor policies that aren't enforced and doors that aren't properly secured. Fixing those, he said, would be a step toward preventing further school violence.

He was joined by Mark Mattiolli, whose 6-year-old son James was among the 20 students killed at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown. Mattiolli, who Hutchinson described as a "special guest" at the recommendations' unveiling, urged lawmakers to look past their notions of the NRA when reading the group's plan.

"Politics need to be set aside here, and I hope this doesn't lead to name calling," Mattiolli said. "These are recommendations for solutions. And that's what we need. We need to look at that appendix and we need to do something."

The NRA first announced the National School Shield Program in December as its response to the Newtown school shooting a week earlier. It posted a bare-bones website and pledged to report back with a set of school safety proposals.

Hutchinson said Tuesday those proposals were directed at federal and state lawmakers, as well as the NRA itself, which will now decide which of the items to official adopt as recommendations.

Immediately following the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre told reporters, supporters and a few vocal protesters, "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."

"Why is the idea of a gun good when it's used to protect our president or our country or our police, but bad when it's used to protect our children in their schools? They're our kids," he said.

LaPierre, the longtime face of the organization, stood firm to that position and hasn't wavered despite immense criticism and pressure.

Some lawmakers in several states have considered proposals to arm and train teachers. While the Obama administration hasn't ruled out some form of armed protection on school property, Vice President Joe Biden made it clear the idea wasn't his top priority. In a conference call last week with supporters, Biden indicated he preferred background checks be performed on all gun sales and took issue with the idea of arming legislators.

"The last thing we need, and ask any teacher, is to arm teachers ... Turn schools into armed camps," he said.

"But what does make sense is if a school decides they want to have a school resource officer – that is a sworn shield, someone who is a sworn police officer, in or out of uniform, armed or unarmed, depending on what the school wants – in the school to be able to have contact with and build relationships with not only the staff but the students in that school," he said.

Funding such programs remains a key sticking point between the White House and the NRA, including how lawmakers would dole out the grant money to local schools.

Recent public polling shows the nation is divided on whether or not schools should increase the number of armed guards.

soundoff(434 Responses)

Donna

It is down right bizarre to read some of the people in here that think the students will be assaulting the teacher, disarming them and then going on a shooting rampage. Or grabbing a gun from an unlocked area to start killing people. Or teachers flipping out and killing students, etc.

Maybe we need to give all the teachers and students drug and mental evaluations?!!

April 2, 2013 04:28 pm at 4:28 pm |

JonfromLI

Don't hold your breath.

April 2, 2013 04:28 pm at 4:28 pm |

Kealia1974

Carolyn,
Nice victim blaming. You are a perfect example of what is wrong with this country.

April 2, 2013 04:29 pm at 4:29 pm |

Troy

Idiots. All of you libtards. Just idiots.

We put armed guards on our money. We put armed guards on our businesses. But when it comes time to protect our most valuable assets, our children, all you can do is belittle anybody who wants to do just that.

What if a child disarms a teacher and uses the gun? There are OTHER teachers with guns to stop him, fast. BEFORE 20 kids die in the 5 minutes or more it takes FOR SOMEBODY WITH A GUN AND BADGE to get there.

Argue the logic all you want. But there is NOBODY in the white house, or administration, who actually want to see our kids safe. And evidently, half of you would rather leave them defenseless, ripe for the slaughter, too.

April 2, 2013 04:31 pm at 4:31 pm |

maximusvad

Yes ...my 55 year old English Teacher Mrs. Gibson packing....easily disarmed and gun used against her by angry student who gets an F....this would be a more common scenario then her shooting an Adam Lanzo...

April 2, 2013 04:31 pm at 4:31 pm |

raenanda

Learning to use guns safely is not hard. They are simple metal objects. They won't do anything you don't let them do.

April 2, 2013 04:32 pm at 4:32 pm |

Aestro

Some people are also concerned with what happens to all the guns in the schools when the next Adam Lanza ISN'T there?

The problem with guns as the only means to reduce gun crime is that it serves to introduce guns into more situations where they wouldn't have been present otherwise. THAT is the reason gun-free zones exist. It's so that when an argument gets heated or even violent, a gun isn't there to escalate the situation.

April 2, 2013 04:33 pm at 4:33 pm |

Pablo

What about before the kids arrive at school? Since kids going to school are so exposed and vulnerable, I propose we arm crossing guards, bus drivers, safety patrols, and station armed mothers to serve as guards at each pick up and drop off point. We also need six foot electrified fences, moats, and guard towers around the schools, and a dedicated staff to inspect all vehicles as they enter school grounds (could be packing explosives) and to operate the gate. This will make my little Homer safer and help spur the purchase of more firearms.

April 2, 2013 04:34 pm at 4:34 pm |

cleareye1

The NRA is a burden we must bear. In a free country like ours ignorance and lack of caring is not criminal. To some it is respected. Sad.